Every investigation follows a visible process designed to separate documented fact, analytical inference, unresolved question, and opinion.
The Diligence Method
Eight steps from claim to finding
01
Capture the claim
We quote the company’s exact words and preserve the date, medium, intended audience, surrounding context, and any accompanying graphic or qualification.
02
Define the impression
We identify both the literal wording and the practical impression a reasonable consumer or investor would take away.
03
Identify the claim type
We distinguish measurement, prediction, diagnostic, performance, regulatory, market, financial, and forward-looking claims.
04
Locate the strongest evidence
We prioritize primary sources: complete studies, protocols, datasets, regulatory records, securities filings, patents, court records, and company-supplied documentation.
05
Compare representations
We place marketing, investor, regulatory, and legal statements side by side and examine whether their scope and qualifications remain consistent.
06
Identify omissions
We determine whether material limitations, contrary results, conflicts, assumptions, or uncertainties were withheld, minimized, or buried.
07
Invite a response
We give the company a precise opportunity to provide missing evidence, identify factual errors, or explain the discrepancy.
08
Publish and maintain the record
We issue a clearly labeled finding, cite sources, preserve company responses, and maintain a transparent corrections history.
Source hierarchy
We prefer the closest available source to the underlying fact. Secondary reporting is useful for discovery but does not replace the primary record.
Primary data and complete official records
Peer-reviewed studies and regulator publications
Company filings, contracts, policies, and technical documents
Named expert analysis with disclosed methods
Reputable reporting that cites its evidence
Promotional statements and unattributed assertions
Corrections are part of diligence.
New evidence can change a responsible conclusion. Every material correction should identify what changed, why it changed, and when the revision was made. Silent rewriting is not permitted.